Texas Death Penalty Blog

Another way to look at the Oregon governor’s death penalty reprieves

Mike Hashimoto wrote yesterday about Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber’s announcement last week that he was imposing a moratorium on the death penalty in his state. Mike took issue with Kitzhaber’s decision to give the 37 inmates on death row a temporary reprieve instead of a permanent commutation, which would have been within his power as governor. Mike wrote:

Instead, he imposed a temporary halt to the legal process, as determined by Oregon voters, which his successor could — and should — reverse. Kitzhaber’s moral conviction, his principled stand, extends only so long as he holds office? That sounds like the opposite of courage.

If Kitzhaber’s “principled stand” were all there was to it, I’d agree with Mike. But that’s not the whole story. Mike was looking at only a part of Kitzhaber’s reasoning for imposing the moratorium, which Kitzhaber himself said he was doing “both because of my own deep personal convictions about capital punishment and also because in practice, Oregon has an expensive and unworkable system that fails to meet basic standards of justice.”

Oregon has put two people to death since voters there re-enacted capital punishment in 1984; both were executed only because they had waived their rights to appeal their convictions. Kitzhaber argued that a system that executes only those who volunteer to die is not a system that is enacting even-handed justice.

And why did he not commute the sentence of Gary Haugen, whose execution had been scheduled for Dec. 6, or any of the other death row inmates? It’s not because he lacks moral conviction, but because he wants the Legislature to address his other concern, addressing the questions of an “unworkable system that fails to meet basic standards of justice.”

“I am convinced we can find a better solution that keeps society safe, supports the victims of crime and their families and reflects Oregon values,” he wrote, as quoted in the Oregonian. “I refuse to be a part of this compromised and inequitable system any longer; and I will not allow further executions while I am Governor.”

Top Picks

ArchivesAbout this blog

About This Blog

This blog is the leading forum for people on all sides of the debate to discuss issues related to the death penalty. It includes news from Dallas Morning News reporters as well as commentary from members of the editorial board, which opposes the death penalty.